Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert Selling Out?

Granted, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman has told investors that he sees a big opportunity for his company to grow by promoting sales of consumer products tied to its entertainment brands. Here’s how Comedy Central plans to chip in. But viewers may be less-than-thrilled by today’s announcement that Comedy Central has inked an exclusive retail partnership with Urban Outfitters to launch products from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Indecision 2012 in stores nationwide starting August 15. Does anybody really care that this is Urban Outfitters’ first exclusive product collaboration with a TV network? Nah, not when political satire mutates with retail therapy and all those graphic tees, mugs, tumblers, posters and buttons hit the aisles and the Internet with “smart, funny and election-inspired merchandise”. Look at your watch: this may be the exact moment when Stewart and Colbert sold out.

48 Comments

I’m a big Daily Show fan but this week has been AWFUL. I hope they turn it around asap.

wowiezowie • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

You said it first! And you’re right! (Unless these guys had no right of approval…)

Some Guy • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

The weird part is that the owner of Urban Outfitters, Richard Hayne, was a supporter of Rick Santorum and has often been accused of being anti-gay. You wouldn’t expect him to want to be linked to John Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

You can buy shirts, jackets, mugs… pretty much whatever you want from these “news networks”. And they have on air promotions as well. Morning Joe has Starbucks on the show every day for crying out loud! So Comedy Central can’t do the same? So you think it will for one second effect the integrity of the shows? Do you really think Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert care at all?

These are expensive shows to produce, and if Comedy Central is looking for a little upside you won’t get any complaints from me.

Jessy S. • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

The only difference from merchandising between Stewart/Colbert and other news organizations is that the other news organizations are more reserved, and the Stewart/Colbert team push products whenever they can.

Leo1973 • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Actually, the real difference is that Stewart/Colbert are comedians doing a parody of news shows, and the others are actual news organizations. There are no reporters breaking stories at Comedy Central, all they do is make fun of the coverage at the other networks.
Also, the cable news air 24/7 while Stewart/Colbert have 4 20 minute shows a week, so there is a difference in scope, even as one acknowledges that we are comparing comedians to reporters.
From my perspective, Stewart/Colbert can do whatever they want, because they are not claiming to be a news organization.

Jed • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

It’s all about the money and with Comedy central being hot right now, they figure why the hell not and take advantage of the momentum while it’s still there? Can’t stand either one of these trolls that make up their top programming (Colbert and Stewart) but if they help to sell merchandise, that’s the name of the game.

Fredy3k • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Whats the argument here? I have no place to vent my outrage. Daily show is political satire theyre not bound by the same ethics as a news station is. This article might as well be about workaholics. Stewart and cobert arent selling out. America is buying in. The political conversation is distorted, a fan club full of hipsters rockn a truthiness shirt isnt going to sway the conversation one way or another.

Chuck R • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

No outrage over the fact that Urban Outfitters’ chairman is a huge Santorum supporter? I think Stewart would reasonably have some compunction about allowing his likeness to benefit someone who’s going to turn around and donate those profits to the very right-wing campaigns that Stewart so dependably skewers.

I would think if you have survived already being on a Viacom-owned and ad-supported basic cable network show then you are already somewhat immune to accusations of selling out.

Bobby Woods (biased) • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Remember the words of Lenny Bruce: “Be a man. Sell out.”

Stanford Crane • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Sounds like good business. They won’t change.

bRain • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

So they’ve sold out because…they’re selling merch? Every major contemporary musical act in existence must have sold out then.

Johnny Ringo • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Both shows are on an ad-supported network, and both have done pulled sponsored stunts inside their shows, including the “Hail to the Cheese Stephen Colbert’s Nacho Cheese Doritos 2008 Presidential Campaign Coverage.” I doubt selling a few branded T-shirts and gewgaws to the hipster masses is going to be seen as “selling out.”

Cshifty • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Meh. They’ve been selling products on Comedy Central’s website for years. Most were crappy products or were sold out, very poorly run online store. Now it seems they’ve got someone handling it better.

“Selling out” is *not* actors from ad-supported shows whose M.O.’s are subversive satire selling merch hawking their brand which probably will increase knowledge/viewership of their brand.

JustJen • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

ok let’s lighten up here — this is about selling a few t-shirts and coffee mugs; not influencing the content or direction of their shows; not even as offensive as product placement, imho. This kind of crap finances these shows, and smart companies still leave proven successes their independence. HBO sells licensed product too, but creatives love to work there.

DHC • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

They should have signed on with Maybelline then they could have worn their product placements on their faces – big ruby lips, black manscara, blushed cheeks with pencil thin eyebrows.

Jack • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Considering that showrunners don’t always have control as to how a network markets and monetizes their shows, unless you can show they were active participants in this decision it’s not fair to call them sell-outs. The way you frame this makes it sound like a decision from higher-up execs and had little to do with Colbert and Stewart themselves.

Lifer • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

They both have already sold out to product placement for years with Colbert being much more grand and obvious about it. I just prefer Colbert selling out for US Olympians and the armed forces.

steve • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Urban Outfitters is starting a boring conservative suit collection?

miss manager • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Colbert donates and raises a lot of money for charity. Product placement on Viacom is not new. They have no choice.

Sam • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

How is producing merchandise any different from running commercials during the shows themselves? “Selling out…” What an incredibly sensationalist statement. Stewart and Colbert didn’t ink the deals themselves, and I can’t really think of any reason that the content of their shows would change as a result.

Stewart and Colbert have been consciously “selling out” while winking to their audiences for years. Just last night, Colbert took a big sip of brand-name soda, commenting on how he can’t believe how much Pepsi paid for that sponsorship. I think he added to the cheers of the crowd a comment that the young understand (product placement.)

Glenn • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Don’t trash these guys just because the Right has a tin ear for political satire. Last time I looked, we’re all part of the Capitalist model. Including “Deadline”.

Jessy S. • on Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

Agree with the crowd. As far as I know, it is likely going to be either sponsorship porn or “Budget cuts.”